Messi with 13 goals and Mbappe with 12 seek Miroslav Klose’s historic record as the World Cup’s top scorer

Mundo’s Copa has its records. Miroslav Klose leads the tournament’s top scorers list with 16 goals. The German built the brand in four editions, between 2002 and 2014.

Ele overcame Ronaldo Nazario in the 2014 semi-final. The goal came in Alemanha’s 7-1 victory over Brasil, in Belo Horizonte. Aquele moment put Klose at the absolute top.

Klose builds brand in four editions of the tournament

The German center forward debuted in Copa of the 2002 Mundo. Ele scored five times in that competition. Alemanha reached the final, but lost to Brasil.

Klose returned in 2006 as host. Marcou five goals and helped the team to third place. In 2010, at África’s Sul, he scored four goals. Alemanha finished third again.

• Cinco goals in 2002
• Cinco goals in 2006
• Quatro goals in 2010
• Dois goals in 2014, including historic against Brasil

The last goal came exactly when he needed it. Klose scored 16 goals and left Ronaldo Nazario behind.

His career with the German national team lasted 137 games. Klose retired after 2014’s Copa, having won the world title.

Ronaldo Nazario held the record for over a decade

Ronaldo Nazario reached 15 goals in Copa’s Mundo. Ele competed in the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions. The Brazilian broke Gerd Muller’s previous record.

In 2002, Ronaldo experienced its peak. Recuperado suffered serious knee injuries, he scored eight goals and led Brasil to their fifth championship. Their Dois came out in the final against Alemanha.

Gerd Muller had 14 goals. The Alemanha striker scored between 1970 and 1974. Sua’s brand lasted for more than 30 years until Ronaldo surpassed it.

Messi and Mbappe are the main active names on the list

Lionel Messi accumulates 13 goals in Copas from Mundo. The Argentine played in five editions: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Seu’s best performance came in 2022, with seven goals and the world title.

Kylian Mbappe already has 12 goals. The Frenchman only played Copas twice, in 2018 and 2022. Ele scored four times in the 2018 title and eight in 2022, including a hat-trick in the final.

Messi is three goals behind Klose. Mbappe, younger, appears as a strong candidate to challenge the brand in the next editions.

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The Argentine occupies fourth place overall, tied with Just Fontaine. Mbappe shares seventh place with Pele.

Just Fontaine maintains record for goals in a single edition

Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in the 1958 Copa, Suécia. The Frenchman played just six games in that competition. The average exceeded two goals per match.

Nenhum player came close to that number in subsequent editions. Gerd Muller, Ronaldo, Pele, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe had great tournaments, but did not surpass Fontaine’s mark.

The record has stood for almost 70 years. Mesmo with more games on modern Copas, no one has repeated the feat.

Top 10th top scorers in the history of Copas of Mundo

The historical list brings together names from different generations.

• Miroslav Klose (Alemanha) – 16 goals
• Ronaldo Nazario (Brasil) – 15 goals
• Gerd Muller (Alemanha Ocidental) – 14 goals
• Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 13 goals
• Just Fontaine (França) – 13 goals
• Pele (Brasil) – 12 goals
• Kylian Mbappe (França) – 12 goals
• Sandor Kocsis (Hungria) – 11 goals
• Jurgen Klinsmann (Alemanha) – 11 goals
• Helmut Rahn (Alemanha Ocidental) – 10 goals

Esses numbers reflect consistency over the years. Klose needed four tournaments to reach the top. Outros, like Fontaine, shined in a single edition.

Detalhes of Messi’s goals per edition

Lionel Messi has a varied distribution of goals. Ele debuted in 2006 with a goal. In 2014, he scored four times and took Argentina to the final.

In 2018, at Rússia, there were just one goal. The big party came in 2022, at Catar. Sete goals helped Argentina win the title after 36 years.

Além of goals, Messi holds records for matches played and minutes on the field in the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo, in turn, has eight goals. The Portuguese scored in five different editions, a unique feat among male players. Seu’s best moment was in 2018, with four goals, including a hat-trick against Espanha.

Mundo’s Copa continues to produce new names. Every four years, attackers try to write their chapters in history. Klose is still waiting for a successor.